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jboyce91@gmail.com  
#1 Posted : Monday, March 19, 2012 6:09:33 AM(UTC)
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jboyce91@gmail.com

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I have a Frigidaire refridgerator with the freezer on top, model FRT18G6JW2.

Yesterday I noticed the fridge section wasn't very cold. I searched around on some forums and decided to take off the back panel in the freezer. There was ice on the wire going to the defrost coil, but there wasn't any ice anywhere else. There was some frost on the part with the fins (evaporator coil I think is what it's called). After messing with it for a while I put it all back together and the next day it worked. I'm assuming it defrosted by being unplugged for 10 minutes or so.

Anyway, I decided to look into it further because I am sure it will happen again. This morning when I woke up, the compressor was kicked off and the fridge wasn't running so I assume the timer is working correctly. By the time I decided to work on it, it had kicked on again so I took the back freezer panel off again and turned the timer manually so the defrost coil would kick on. It gets hot.

Would I be correct in assuming that since the fridge wasn't running in the morning the timer is OK, and when I manually turned the defrost timer the coil heated up, that my problem part is the thermostat (since it's the only defrost part left)? If the timer turns the defrost coil on, then what is the purpose of the thermostat anyway?

Any help is greatly appreciated... I've been a homeowner less than a year and I have no idea what I'm doing!
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denman  
#2 Posted : Monday, March 19, 2012 9:01:18 AM(UTC)
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denman

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Here are your parts
Replacement parts for Frigidaire FRT18G6JW2 REFRIGERATOR | AppliancePartsPros.com

Here is a copy of the wiring diagram
http://manuals.frigidaire.com/p...f/Anderson/241588203.pdf
Looking at the parts your unit does not have a condenser/compressor fan.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]There was ice on the wire going to the defrost coil, but there wasn't any ice anywhere else. There was some frost on the part with the fins (evaporator coil I think is what it's called).[/COLOR]
Does not sound like a defrost problem.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]After messing with it for a while I put it all back together and the next day it worked. I'm assuming it defrosted by being unplugged for 10 minutes or so.[/COLOR]
It would take a lot longer to defrost if the coils had been heavily iced/frosted over. For it to be a defrost problem they must be iced/frosted over to the point where the evaporator/freezer fan cannot pull air through them.

When you opened the door was the evaporator/freezer fan running?
It should be on whenever the compressor is on.
If it is not on then the unit will not cool properly.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]This morning when I woke up, the compressor was kicked off and the fridge wasn't running so I assume the timer is working correctly. By the time I decided to work on it, it had kicked on again so I took the back freezer panel off again and turned the timer manually so the defrost coil would kick on. It gets hot.
Would I be correct in assuming that since the fridge wasn't running in the morning the timer is OK, and when I manually turned the defrost timer the coil heated up, [/COLOR]
You cannot assume that because the timer may jam up in another part of the cycle. You can assume that the defrost heater is OK as it got hot.
I would also say that the defrost thermostat is OK, though they can go intermittent. If it is deformed/bulged replace it.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]that my problem part is the thermostat (since it's the only defrost part left)? If the timer turns the defrost coil on, then what is the purpose of the thermostat anyway?[/COLOR]
I am assuming we are talking about the defrost thermostat. It is wired in series with the heating coil. It is closed when frozen and opens just above freezing. The defrost cycle is a timed event (30 minutes) but if the ice is melted off the coils in 15 minutes then the defrost thermostat will open and shut off the heater. This prevents additional heat which is not needed for defrost from thawing your food. It sounds like it is OK.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Any help is greatly appreciated... I've been a homeowner less than a year and I have no idea what I'm doing![/COLOR]
At one time or another we were all in that position.
Here is a good site with basic info on appliances which you may find useful.
http://www.applianceaid.com/repair-help.html

In your unit the main control thermostat turns the compressor and evaporator/freezer fan on. They are wired in parallel so when one is on the other should also be on.
So if it happens again.
Check is the compressor is on. You can usually hear it, also it should be warm and you should be able to feel it vibrating.
If it is on, check that the freezer fan is running, could be it is shot.

If neither are on jiggle the main control thermostat back and forth a bit. If the unit fires up then I would say that the thermostat is sticking open and needs replacing.

I hope I explained the above OK.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
jboyce91@gmail.com  
#3 Posted : Sunday, April 1, 2012 10:26:05 AM(UTC)
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jboyce91@gmail.com

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Both the compressor and the fan run. I can feel the air blowing out of the freezer, and hear the compressor running and feel the heat from it on the back panel.

I've been manually defrosting a couple times a day but it still quit again today.
denman  
#4 Posted : Monday, April 2, 2012 3:25:42 AM(UTC)
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denman

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You will have to remove the cover in the freezer and check the evaporator coils.

It is weird that you have to defrost it a couple times a day.
A unit will usually take at least a couple days to a week or so before the ice/frost builds up on the coils where it causes a problem. It must be thick enough to prevent the fan from pulling air through the coils for it to be a defrosts problem.

I am not sure what is going on here.
Are the condenser coils clean?

If the compressor and fans are running and there is just frost in one area (usually where the freon enters the coils) then you have a sealed system problem.

Here is a page from my earlier link, take a look at the example pictures part way down the page.
http://www.applianceaid.com/frig_notcold.html
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
jboyce91@gmail.com  
#5 Posted : Monday, April 16, 2012 7:09:24 PM(UTC)
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jboyce91@gmail.com

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I think we had a misunderstanding, I defrost it manually as a preventative measure so hopefully I can go a little longer before having to take it apart each time, not because it stops working every time. It takes about two weeks for it get iced up enough to stop the fridge from getting cold, maybe a little longer. By that time, I have to take the back cover off and clear the ice out because just manually defrosting will not clear it. Every time, there is ice on the wire that leads in from the back of the fridge down to the defrost coil and there is a plug of ice blocking the path of air from the freezer to the fridge. There is usually a white frost in the vents that allow air into the freezer section, and there was a white frost all over the fan this time as well.

The evaporator coil usually has a very minimal film of frost on it at the time of failure. The worst part is the actual clear ice that builds up on the defrost coil wire (it collects on a plastic connector there) and in the air duct to the fridge.

I do hear the defrost kick the fridge off every once in a while, but there is no practical way for me to keep track of exactly how many times a day and for how long. Is a clogged drain line a possibility? It seems to me like there is ice on the top of the freezer also, but just a few little droplets of it. Maybe condensation isn't able to exit the freezer and it freezes it up inevitably?

Thanks for all your help so far by the way.
denman  
#6 Posted : Tuesday, April 17, 2012 2:40:25 AM(UTC)
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denman

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The unit should defrost every 6 hours of compressor run time.
The defrost cycle should last 30 minutes.
Note that this is the total cycle time and not the defrost heater on time.
Once the ice is melted the defrost thermostat should open and shut the heater off.

Did this unit work OK in the past for you?
The reason I ask is that sometimes a person has a problem and when the install a new part the put it in a different location (defrost thermostat of insulation blocks). This then causes a different problem.
Then you buy it and end up with a weird problem.
I am assuming that the evaporator cover is properly installed as it will not defrost properly without it.

I would check the door seals perhaps you have a leak and warm moist air is entering the unit.
Check that the seal are clean.
Take a 2 inch strip of paper and place it between the door seal and the frame then pull it out to check the seal. Work you way around both doors.
Check that the seal on the hinge side is not grabbing and twisting as the door closes. If this is happening a light coating of vaseline or white lithium grease should fix it.

Could also be a problem with temperature variations in the freezer.
Take a bowl of ice cubes and put it on the floor in the center of the freezer (not close to the back (defrost heater)). Leave for a day or so. If the cubes end up all frozen together then the temperature in the freezer is varying too much.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
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